Young stars have had to deal with roster overhauls

It is a common theme for the two stars who have become fast friends since entering the NBA at the top of the 2003 draft.

Sunday, with Wade back in South Florida recovering from his March 12 season-ending knee treatment, James spoke of the continued overhauls the Heat and Cavaliers have undergone in bids to bring stability to each franchise leader.

"Hopefully, at one point, you can get to a point where you have pretty much a consistent base of teammates, that you know is going to be around," James said before closing with 13 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the Cavaliers' 84-76 victory over the Heat.

"But it hasn't been that way for myself. It hasn't been that way for Dwyane, either."

The Cavaliers currently find themselves in their third incarnation behind James. First it was a supporting cast that included Ricky Davis, Darius Miles and Carlos Boozer. Then it was an ensemble that featured Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden and Donyell Marshall. Now, after a midseason blockbuster trade, it is the uneven adjustment to Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West that has Cleveland 13-12 since the newcomers arrived.

"At one point in our career," James said of himself and Wade, "we would hope we can get some consistency to help us with the team, consistently have the same faces around year after year after year."

The Cavaliers' opening-round playoff fate against the Wizards could go a long way toward determining whether Cleveland General Manager Danny Ferry finally can exhale.

Otherwise, three of the top picks in that blockbuster 2003 draft could find themselves as part of yet another extreme makeover, with Toronto General Manager Bryan Colangelo speaking recently of trying to get the chemistry right alongside forward Chris Bosh. The Heat plays in Toronto tonight.

"First of all," Ferry said Sunday, "when you're rebuilding and you have a player like Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh or LeBron, you've got the hardest part done. From there, it's finding people that you feel may complement both the way you want to play and the player."

Wade already has played with more supporting casts than James. First there was the rookie grouping alongside Eddie Jones, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Rafer Alston. Then there was a season alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Damon Jones. Then, before it all went sour, there was the title grouping that featured O'Neal, Antoine Walker and Jason Williams, with Udonis Haslem the only constant along the way.

Ferry said that not only are no two rebuilding projects the same, but they tend to defy timetables.

"I don't think there's a magic formula," he said. "I think a lot of it is dictated by what opportunities are in place and what you can do. You don't necessarily do something to make something happen.

"A lot of times, the opportunity isn't there. That's what all of us have to balance, what the Heat has to balance. It might not be today. It might not be three months. It might be a year."

James said he is hopeful Wade doesn't have to wait nearly that long.

"Being as close as we are off the court, you never want a good friend of yours to go through a season like this," he said, with the Heat 14-66 after Sunday's loss. "I can only imagine going out every night and not knowing if your teammates are going to compete or if you're going to win.

"It's a tough situation for him this year and I was happy that he shut it down, to try to get his body some rest and be ready for next year."

Not pretty

Sunday's game featured a dreary offensive display, with the Heat shooting 39.4 percent and the Cavaliers 37.8. The Heat led 59-57 going into the fourth quarter before Cleveland opened the final period with a 12-2 run to seize control. Davis led the Heat with 17 points. "We just gradually nailed the coffin," James said. ...

University of Miami forward Anthony King finished the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational scouting tournament with 15 points in his three appearances, but closed tied for second in rebounding in the showcase of 60 potential second-round picks by averaging nine per game.

INFORMATIONAL BOX:

TONIGHT

HEAT AT RAPTORS

When/where: 7 p.m., Air Canada Centre, Toronto

TV: SUN Radio: WIOD (610-AM), WBZT (1230-AM), WQBA (1140-AM, Spanish)

About the Heat: The Heat has lost eight in a row on the road and 12 of its past 14 overall. It heads into the final meeting of the season series 0-3 against the Raptors, having lost by a combined 99 points. It dropped the most recent meeting 96-54 March 19, producing the NBA's third-lowest scoring total in the shot-clock era.

About the Raptors: With Sunday's 91-84 loss in Detroit, Toronto has lost four of six as it limps into the playoffs. Toronto has matched its franchise record with 24 home victories. The Raptors enter 9-10 on the second night of back-to-back games, compared to the Heat's 3-17. Jose Calderon has 59 assists and only two turnovers in the past eight games.